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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26703067">What Love Can Do</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/smolbeanmerlin/pseuds/smolbeanmerlin'>smolbeanmerlin</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Merlin (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst with a Happy Ending, Arthur Finds Out About Merlin's Magic (Merlin), Hurt Merlin (Merlin), I'm Bad At Tagging, M/M, Merlin Needs a Hug (Merlin), Merlin's Magic Revealed (Merlin), Oblivious Arthur, Oblivious Merlin (Merlin), POV Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), POV Merlin (Merlin), Past Gwen/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Protective Arthur, Protective Merlin, Sad with a Happy Ending</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 10:42:08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,223</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26703067</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/smolbeanmerlin/pseuds/smolbeanmerlin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin has been constantly struggling with the burden of his lies, his magic, his destiny and most importantly, his secret love for Arthur.</p>
<p>When the weight on his shoulders suddenly make him collapse onto his knees, Merlin finds himself confessing his second most deepest and darkest secret.</p>
<p>How will Arthur react? And most importantly, will Arthur and Merlin's relationship stay in tact? Or will destiny tear them apart?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Gwen/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>107</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is a small story and personally I don't think that it's very good. I've also posted this on my watt pad account which is basically the same username.</p>
<p>Also I'm new to Ao3 so I don't really know how to use it but I'll get the hang of this. </p>
<p>Anyway, I hope you like it!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>King Arthur's and Guinevere's wedding day was tomorrow. By tomorrow, Merlin would be miles away from Camelot and also the pain that Merlin felt whenever he saw them two together would fall away. </p>
<p>He was in no way jealous of Guinevere. Merlin was more jealous of Arthur, in fact. He had a lover and received love from that person everyday. He was about to marry a woman who loved him out of the goodness of her heart.</p>
<p>Merlin couldn't stand the hugs, the kisses, the looks and the time they shared with each other.</p>
<p>He was heartbroken.</p>
<p>Maybe that's what happens if you love Arthur Pendragon, Merlin thought.</p>
<p>He had packed his bag full to the brim, filled with food and essential items. It would be nice to go back to living in Ealdor, with his mother. She would ask questions though to why he had come back and Merlin felt ashamed to confess it to her. Loving Arthur wasn't the scary thing to say out loud, but the running away from him would make Hunith chatter on about why Arthur needed him.</p>
<p>After minutes of laying on his bed, wondering how on earth he would tell Arthur that he was leaving without breaking his voice, Merlin got dressed and left his room. Gaius was placing breakfast onto the table. </p>
<p>There was also Gaius to break the news to that he was leaving. </p>
<p>"Ah, Merlin, I was beginning to think you'd slept in again-" his mouth snapped shut as he saw Merlin's face. It was pale and the whites in his eyes were dim, leaving behind the joy and brightness they often exuberated. </p>
<p>"Did you sleep at all?" Gaius sighed. Seeing Merlin like this was becoming more common than the cold. </p>
<p>"Of course I-" seeing the look in Gaius' face, Merlin spoke truthfully "No."</p>
<p>"Merlin! You need to get some sleep, otherwise you'll find yourself having the king and our future queen personally throw food at you whilst you're in the stocks." </p>
<p>The idea almost drowned Merlin in a new wave of pain. Standing in the stocks, covered in rotten tomatoes and vegetables, whilst Arthur and Gwen, side by side, laugh at him. It would have enough power to snap Merlin in two. If it ever happened, the hurt and the mental scars from the event would drive him crazy. </p>
<p>"Merlin!" Gauis' shout brought him out of his mind. </p>
<p>"Yes?" asked Merlin. </p>
<p>"What's wrong?" </p>
<p>"Huh? Oh I was just thinking."</p>
<p>"About what?" </p>
<p>Merlin drew in a breath, mentally pulling himself as far away from Gaius as he could. <br/>"Leaving." </p>
<p>"Why? Are you sure you are alright?" </p>
<p>"Yeh..." </p>
<p>"Why would you be thinking about leaving?" </p>
<p>One look in Merlin's eyes told him everything. He was in pain. What from, he did not know. Merlin needed a break, it would help him through whatever was going on in the mind of the young warlock. <br/>"Do what you feel is right, Merlin." </p>
<p>_______________________________________</p>
<p>Standing outside of the door that he had pushed open nearly everyday for the past few years of his life, he hesitated for the first time before knocking. Merlin couldn't help but hear the voices coming from inside, even though he was subdued in his own thoughts. </p>
<p>"Arthur, are you okay?" he heard Guinevere ask. </p>
<p>No reply. </p>
<p>"Arthur! Answer me." </p>
<p>"Mm, what?" Arthur spoke, seeming to have noticed that Gwen was talking to him. </p>
<p>"Are you okay, my love?" </p>
<p>'My Love'. Merlin hated it whenever he heard either of the two say it to the other. The phrase pulled at his heart every time it reached his ears. Above all, those were the words that Merlin would've liked to say to Arthur if circumstances were different. But they weren't and Merlin's departure this afternoon would be one of the only ways to draw himself out of this damned reality. </p>
<p>"Yeh, just someon-ugh thing on my mind, that's all." Arthur's reply was empty and a hint of sadness could be heard in his tone. </p>
<p>"What is it?" </p>
<p>"Nothing." </p>
<p>"Arthur-" </p>
<p>He hastily pressed his lips to Gwen's. She showed concern and Arthur new she would pursue him on the subject later but he had no intentions of telling her about it. </p>
<p>At the exact same moment, Merlin walked in. </p>
<p>He noticed that Arthur pulled away from the kiss as soon as he entered the room, however paying detail to little things like that never did Merlin any good. It would give him a sliver of hope. Yet that hope never lasted. </p>
<p>Arthur and Gwen were going to get married tomorrow and there was nothing he could do about it. </p>
<p>"Ah, Merlin!" Arthur said, mentally thanking Merlin for the disruption that had spared him another lecture from Gwen. Well, for now at least. </p>
<p>"I need to say something. Two things actually." exclaimed Merlin. His voice sounded lifeless and almost dead in a way. Seeing Merlin suffer, for reasons he did not know, hurt him. Merlin was a mystery to him now. He never talked, nor even dared to look Arthur in the eye. This is what made the King scared, horrified even. </p>
<p>He was losing Merlin. </p>
<p>Without him, Arthur would be at a loss. Not even Gwen could replace Merlin. No one could. Ever. </p>
<p>Maybe repressing certain feelings and convincing himself that he loved Gwen was not a good idea. It wasn't good at all. </p>
<p>"Yes?" Arthur asked and for whatever reason, he felt a sickening sensation brew in his stomach. Something bad was going to happen. </p>
<p>"I'm... I'm leaving." </p>
<p>"What?!" whatever had just came out of Merlin's mouth must be some sort of mistake. A joke, perhaps? </p>
<p>"I'm going back to Ealdor. And before I go, I wish to say something that I... I should've said a long time ago." </p>
<p>Merlin? Leaving? He really was losing him. </p>
<p>"I-" how on earth was he going to say this "I'm... I'm a s-sorcerer." </p>
<p>Throughout the history of this room, at that moment it was the quietest it had ever been in there. Gwen wore an expression mixed with guilt, sadness and forgiveness on her face. Merlin's eyes were brimming with tears, yet he didn't allow them to fall. </p>
<p>And Arthur. He didn't know what to feel. Was it betrayal, or hurt? The most loyal manservant he had somehow managed to befriend had lied to him, after all these years. But looking in Merlin's eyes dissipated his anger. Merlin had shown loyalty and bravery that Arthur would never achieve. He had saved his neck countless times. Yet this very same man was biting back tears in front of Arthur for the first time. Merlin had never cried in front of him. He had always managed to shed his tears behind Arthur's back. </p>
<p>Why was Merlin so desperate to not let Arthur in? </p>
<p>That question was easily answered. It was because Merlin had magic and a boy his age would do anything in order not to get burned at the pyre or have their head dismembered on the chopping block. The real answer though was simple. Merlin has his own life. He has his own problems. He prefers to deal with them alone because that is what Merlin just..does. It made Arthur sad. Much more than sad. </p>
<p>There was a solution to all of Merlin's tears. The same thing that helped Arthur throughout his years of becoming Crown Prince and then eventually King. </p>
<p>Merlin needed to be loved. </p>
<p>Not platonic love. Not love that came from a mother or father or a relative. Not the sort that friends shared. </p>
<p>Merlin needed the person who made him a whole. The person who was on the other side of the same coin. </p>
<p>Whoever that person was, Arthur needed to know. It flew over his mind that Merlin was a sorcerer as other things were more important than that: Merlin's happiness. </p>
<p>Arthur was so absorbed in his thoughts, that he failed to notice Merlin had broken down on the floor and Gwen was sitting next to him, trying to explain that everything will be okay. He stormed out of the room, letting his legs take him wherever as he pondered who the other half of Merlin was.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Let's see what good old Gaius says...</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"MERLIN!"</p><p>No reply.</p><p>The king made his way to the kitchen.</p><p>"MERLIN!"</p><p>No reply.</p><p>He went to the armoury.</p><p>"MERLIN!"</p><p>Again, no reply.</p><p>Arthur burst his way into the physician's chambers.</p><p>"MERLIN!"</p><p>This time, there was a reply.</p><p>"He's not here, sire."</p><p>"The tavern?" Arthur asked, but his voice carried a doubting tone. </p><p>Merlin wouldn't be in the tavern. In fact, Arthur didn't even think that Merlin had ever gone to the tavern. They were just more lies.</p><p>"No, sire." was Gaius' reply.</p><p>"Where is he then?" Arthur didn't even know why he asked. Merlin probably would be miles away from him by now.</p><p>From since he walked out of his chambers, to standing here, cowaring slightly under the intimidating, raised eyebrow of Gaius, Arthur had been gathering information about Merlin. His attempt was futile. Every person he talked to spoke about Merlin with high respect, and always answered with a phrase that went similar to 'he's the brightest, liveliest and happiest man I've ever come across, you're lucky to have him, sire'. </p><p>But to Arthur, none of that seemed true. Ever since the fires of Idirsholas, something had changed within Merlin. There would be some days where Merlin would go missing, apparently to the tavern. Sometimes, though, when Merlin had returned from the 'tavern', Arthur doubted he even went there. There would be times when Merlin would come back with a limp, or a gash on his head. There were times Merlin would grimace or pull back when Arthur would pat him on the shoulder or his back. Unless Merlin had gotten himself into a tavern brawl or something, there was no way those injuries were there due to drinking mead. </p><p>Arthur certainly couldn't say that Merlin was the liveliest and happiest man in all of the five kingdoms. Merlin's mood never seemed to be something that Arthur ever adjusted to. Of course, there were days when Merlin was too lively and happy for his own liking, however, those times were rare to come by nowadays. Most of the time, Merlin's smile was fake and even though Arthur didn't know why, he just knew when that smile was genuine or not. </p><p>And last of all, Arthur was not lucky to have him. In what possible way, shape or form, did Arthur deserve Merlin? He was always there for him (well when he was not at the 'tavern') through thick and thin, even if Arthur's anger did get out of hand. He trusted Merlin's advice and words. Arthur honestly couldn't be more grateful, that Merlin, out of all people, was his closest friend. </p><p>This morning, however, it had felt like their whole friendship had shattered. </p><p>"I'm a sorcerer." </p><p>Just like that. In a few words, Arthur felt everything break. Everything snapped. It happened so sharply, and then into halves everything went, divided by a clean incision, utterly unlike the jagged juts of a snapped twig. </p><p>Arthur was angry and furious inside, yet the calmness of his face whilst he stared, eyes unfocused, at Merlin. </p><p>Nothing he did could stop his train of thoughts and even though Arthur felt like he never wanted to set eyes on Merlin again, he needed to do one last thing. </p><p>Before Merlin leaves him, he needs to know that Merlin will be happy. As long as he can see Merlin's true smile, Arthur can let him go in peace. </p><p>This was Arthur's heart leading him, not his head. Even if he thought he felt everything break, there was one thing that surprisingly stayed in tact: his heart. </p><p>A short cough snapped Arthur out of his reverie. </p><p>"Um...Where did you say he went?" Tentatively asked Arthur, not really sure if Gaius had answered his question. </p><p>"I told you, sire, I only know that he's gone and he's not coming back." </p><p>"Gone?" </p><p>"Yes, sire, he's gone." </p><p>Arthur sank down onto the bench. He didn't have the energy to get angry and he certainly didn't have the energy to use his brain anymore. He buried his head into his hands and internally shouted at himself for walking out on Merlin when he needed him the most. </p><p>"How long?" mumbled Arthur. </p><p>"What do you mean, Arthur?" </p><p>He looked up. Gaius' words sounded so much like what Merlin would say to him. The physician and his ward were similar in a way. </p><p>"Him being a sorcerer. How long?" </p><p>"I can't answer it like that, sire. There is no how long, because Merlin's always been." </p><p>"What's that supposed to mean?" </p><p>"Arthur, you should never define people by time-" </p><p>"Just tell me what you meant!" Arthur interrupted, not wanting another lecture from Gaius. </p><p>"Merlin's a warlock. He was born with magic. But most importantly, Arthur, he's your friend," </p><p>Arthur had no idea on what to say, so Gaius carried on. </p><p>"There's no need to fear him." </p><p>Arthur looked away, not trusting in his voice and certainly not trusting his emotions. </p><p>"Arthur, he doesn't just have magic." </p><p>He looked back to Gaius, hoping that he wasn't going to face another lie Merlin had kept from him after all these years. </p><p>"There are those who say he is the greatest sorcerer to ever walk the earth." </p><p>"Merlin?"</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope you are liking the story! I still don't exactly know what is gonna happen haha...</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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